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2011: a thing all right
Dec. 31st, 2011 11:59 amThis was kind of a shit year for me, perhaps the roughest of my adult life. Not that I didn't learn a lot! But it sure did leave some bruises, this time around.
I have never been one to say "Good riddance" at midnight on the 31st — it's not like some magic curtain qualitatively separates one second from its successor just because one happens to flips a calendar page in between. But I won't be able to escape the feeling this year.
Looming largest:
• I paid, very literally, for some poor business decisions I made in 2010. (Yes, last year. These things have tend to have inertia.) I sank fairly deep into debt again, filling my credit card back up almost to the brim once more. Thankfully this started to turn around before the year ended, and I'm on a good trajectory again; I socked four grand into my card this week, and hope to do it again next month.
But I still haven't put one penny into savings since I went independent over six years ago, and that's not awesome. I feel very self-conscious about being behind schedule here.
Built-in silver lining: hey, at least my owed income tax for 2011 will probably be the smallest ever. And the cause for the debt was entirely self-directed; if I fall down this hard again, at least it won't be for this same reason.
• My teaching experience was hugely disillusioning. I was so ready for this to be the doorway to a whole new professional identity for me, and… well, it wasn't so simple as that. This particular implementation was doomed from the start, for reasons I've already described, and working through the semester despite the hardships soaked up nearly all my time and attention for three months.
Good things:
• My teaching experience is hugely extant. Saying that I've taught a college course is probably as big a boost to my feeling of self-worth — and my objective, CV-based image — as saying that I co-authored some O'Reilly books. I have a feeling that, just as I did with the books, I'll use my experience as a lever into future interesting (and, I hope, more personally compatible) activities.
• Appleseed picked up a great new client, in the best possible way — initially referred by a colleague via Twitter, did a great job on a small but exciting project for them, and went ahead from there. I feel very hopeful about this relationship.
I still have the Icon of Steve pinned over my desk. He's going to stay there into the new year, asking me silently if I'm spending my limited time in the best way that I can. Under his gaze, I disengaged from the teaching job as gracefully as I could, and now it's all mine to decide what to do next. Here's hoping I do a better job this time.
And here's hoping for a successful, healthy and wealthy new year for you too.
I have never been one to say "Good riddance" at midnight on the 31st — it's not like some magic curtain qualitatively separates one second from its successor just because one happens to flips a calendar page in between. But I won't be able to escape the feeling this year.
Looming largest:
• I paid, very literally, for some poor business decisions I made in 2010. (Yes, last year. These things have tend to have inertia.) I sank fairly deep into debt again, filling my credit card back up almost to the brim once more. Thankfully this started to turn around before the year ended, and I'm on a good trajectory again; I socked four grand into my card this week, and hope to do it again next month.
But I still haven't put one penny into savings since I went independent over six years ago, and that's not awesome. I feel very self-conscious about being behind schedule here.
Built-in silver lining: hey, at least my owed income tax for 2011 will probably be the smallest ever. And the cause for the debt was entirely self-directed; if I fall down this hard again, at least it won't be for this same reason.
• My teaching experience was hugely disillusioning. I was so ready for this to be the doorway to a whole new professional identity for me, and… well, it wasn't so simple as that. This particular implementation was doomed from the start, for reasons I've already described, and working through the semester despite the hardships soaked up nearly all my time and attention for three months.
Good things:
• My teaching experience is hugely extant. Saying that I've taught a college course is probably as big a boost to my feeling of self-worth — and my objective, CV-based image — as saying that I co-authored some O'Reilly books. I have a feeling that, just as I did with the books, I'll use my experience as a lever into future interesting (and, I hope, more personally compatible) activities.
• Appleseed picked up a great new client, in the best possible way — initially referred by a colleague via Twitter, did a great job on a small but exciting project for them, and went ahead from there. I feel very hopeful about this relationship.
I still have the Icon of Steve pinned over my desk. He's going to stay there into the new year, asking me silently if I'm spending my limited time in the best way that I can. Under his gaze, I disengaged from the teaching job as gracefully as I could, and now it's all mine to decide what to do next. Here's hoping I do a better job this time.
And here's hoping for a successful, healthy and wealthy new year for you too.